This invention relates generally to an upright mailbox, and more particularly to a residential security mailbox designed to prevent unauthorized access to the deposited mail. The theft of personal mail is one of the most insidious crimes threatening America today. For example, a new credit card may be stolen by a mail thief and the true owner will have no idea the credit card has been stolen until a large bill arrives, and the battle with the credit card company begins. The theft of social security checks is another common occurrence, the thefts facilitated by the knowledge that social security checks are sent out periodically at a publicly-known interval.
To steal the mail, typically a thief will simply reach by hand into a mailbox and remove the mail. Alternatively, a snake-like tool may be used to retrieve the mail. The present device is a security mailbox designed to prevent the theft of mail by these means.
Security mailboxes are known in the art. Unfortunately, these mailboxes do not completely prohibit access to the deposited mail, in main part because they simply do not physically close the gap between the incoming mail door and the bottom of the container with a physical barrier. Furthermore, residential security mailboxes need to be convenient for the mailman and the person retrieving the mail. In particular, there must be an outgoing mail compartment that is easily accessible by both parties. The present device has attributes that solve these problems by improving upon the prior art.
In the prior art, U.S. Pat. No. 5,207,377 discloses a deflectable mailbox having a hinged door for depositing incoming mail, a separate shelf for outgoing mail, and a locking access door in the rear wall of the box. When open, the incoming mail door extends horizontally across the entire width of the interior of the box and abuts a plastic support member at the rear of the box which supports the shelf in a horizontal position. This support member is designed to yield to pressure, however, to allow the door to close. The device is disadvantageous in that the plastic support member is designed to yield to pressure from the door, thereby allowing access to the deposited mail in the compartment below while the door is open. Furthermore, the outgoing mail shelf congests the area for depositing incoming mail.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,144,985 discloses a box for stacking mail face up as it is deposited into the mailbox. The mailbox has a hinged door that swings into a horizontal position when opened to prevent access into the container. A vertical plate is installed as a fixed guard inside the box to prohibit access to the inside of the box. This fixed guard, however, does not meet the distal edge of the door, so that a hand or tool may be inserted into the box between the door and the guard and mail stolen. The device does not have an outgoing mail compartment.
U.S. Pat. No. 527,799 discloses a mailbox having a spring-biased mail door that cooperates with a pivoting horizontal mail shelf. When the door to the mailbox is open, the shelf is held in a horizontal position so that the inside of the box cannot be accessed. When the door is closed, the shelf tilts and lets the deposited mail slide to the bottom of the box. However, the lower compartment can be accessed when the door is only partially open. Furthermore, an outgoing mail compartment is not available.
It is an object of this invention to provide a mailbox for residential use that completely prohibits unauthorized access to the deposited mail. It is a further object to prevent such access by physical means, namely a design of cooperating elements within the box that block a hand or tool from being inserted through the incoming mail opening. Another object of this invention is to provide a security residential mailbox with a convenient outgoing mail pocket.